by Noëlie Frix
“Can’t you just read our minds?” Heka asked mockingly.
“I want to hear it from you. And, to be honest, I don’t read minds entirely. I only know overall intents, not reasoning. Plus,” she admitted, “Immortals are difficult to read.”
“Very well,” Jason began. “Death, Disease and War have made an alliance. The Moon protects life, right?”
“No. The Moon is a neutral entity. She does not concern herself with mortals. She entrusts me with that sort of thing.”
“Well, we’re not mortals. In case you hadn’t noticed.”
“But your concern deals with the mortal world.”
“It is your world too,” Jason countered. “And since it is your concern, then hear us out. So, the three of them have made an alliance, and they want to destroy civilization. They will take countless lives. We know how to deal with Disease. I don’t know about War.”
“Yeah,” Heka said grimly, “we’ll have to deal with Marcus. No matter what.”
“We know how to take care of Death, but we need the Moonlight Flower in order to neutralize him.”
“You already passed the first of three tests,” Myegi started, apparently tossing aside what they had just said.
“Is that so? And how did we do this?” Warrior asked, tired of the Spirit’s games.
“You faced me and so far have survived. You have proved your heart is righteous, and you are brave. But I do not yet know if the Moon has reason to join up with your cause. What makes it so important?”
“Huh,” Heka scoffed. “Life! That’s what makes it important. Maybe you live all alone on this barren ice land, but around you, people live. They have loved ones and projects and most are happy. But if you don’t help, families are going to be torn apart just because Death touches them.”
“Misery, poverty and death will reign over the land. But we can stop it. We can stop Death,” Jason added. “And maintain balance.”
“If we manage to brew a potion with the Moonlight and Sunlight plants, we will only have to deal with War, which is still plenty. I’ve seen what he’s planning. Disease has already launched her attack. That means Death is going to be on the move very soon, and that Marcus is dealing with warlords—setting his plans in motion.”
“So unless you want the deaths of millions of people on your conscience, I suggest you help us get the flower.”
“Mmh,” Myegi considered. “Tell you what! If you pass the third test, then I’ll make sure you don’t die getting the flower.”
“We passed the second test?”
“Yes. You convinced me.”
“Great,” Jason said relieved.
“Two questions,” Heka was both annoyed with the Spirit and glad things were not looking quite as bleak. “First, when will we need you to keep us from dying? And second what’s the third test?”
“The last test is simply to get to the flower. It’s a test of skill. I will have to give it to you, but you have to get to it by yourself. If you touch the plant before I offer it, you will die. Escape from the traps and other challenges that protect it. That is your test.”
“Fine.”
“Good luck, I’ll see you at the flower, or I’ll never see you again. And just so you know, no pets allowed,” Myegi said and disappeared.
Did she just call me a pet? Sembor asked, furious. I’m not a pet! I’ve never felt so insulted. I should have ripped her to pieces, eaten off her flesh and chewed her bones!
“I’m glad you didn’t. She is so bad, you would have had a massive indigestion, guaranteed.”
A pet! Pfft, he huffed. If anything happens to you, Spirit or not, I’ll maul her to death. Be careful.
“Always.”
Forget what she showed you. You’re a good person.
Heka smiled and departed with Jason.
Chapter 14: Traps
“Are you alright?” Shadow asked.
“Yeah,” Warrior took a shaky breath. “She just creeps me out.”
“No kidding. I could tell something was wrong, but it’s like I couldn’t escape her. And the shape-shifting is freaky.”
“She is…scary,” Heka shuddered, realizing how long it had been since she had last found anyone scary. “We have no time to lose. War is preparing for a massive worldwide strike, and we need to be ready.”
“Onward to the Flower then,” Jason said.
They started walking north, telling each other all that had happened since they parted ways.
“What did Myegi mean when she said you…?”
“Had killed an innocent?” Heka guessed. Jason nodded, and she dropped her head, the ground suddenly looking very interesting. “It’s complicated. I was much younger when it happened. A few centuries younger, before I even met you. I was working for king Duleis, training some soldiers and fighting for him.”
“You worked for Duleis? The legendary Duleis?” he asked incredulous. She nodded and he said, “Cool!”
“Well, we’d just come out of a battle,” she closed her eyes, the memory vividly replaying itself in her mind. “The battlefield was horrible. It had been a costly victory—a lot of dead or injured bodies lay on the ground. My boots were soaked with blood. I still had my swords out when,” she choked back a sob, “when he came running out of nowhere. The young boy. My hands reacted before I even realized what was going on. My sword, the boy,” her voice cracked, and she was unable to finish.
“Hey, hey. It’s okay,” he lifted her chin, gently cradling her head in his hands. “It was an accident. It’s not your fault.”
“I’m the one who killed him! How is it not my fault Jason?”
“You said it yourself, you didn’t realize what you were doing.”
“Automatic reflex,” she muttered. “A beginner’s mistake. After that, I spent days training myself to coordinate my mind and body in the midst of life threatening situations so it would never happen again.”
“Exactly. It was a mistake, and you righted your wrong. Stop blaming yourself. Leave the past behind.”
Heka nodded and sighed ruefully. Jason grabbed her hand in his and looked at her tenderly, his gaze full of the forgiveness she struggled to give to herself. She melted under those adorable eyes and sweet smile.
Her own lips curled up tentatively. “So? Ready to capture a flower?”
“You know it!” Jason replied, glad to change the subject.
They stopped talking for they had reached their destination. In front of them, a dark hole opened up, leading down.
“Ugh! We’re going below.”
“What’s the problem?” asked Jason.
“Oh, nothing. I’m just thrilled by the idea of being trapped under tons of ice in a place with no sure footing and ‘deadly’ traps waiting to try and ‘kill’ us.”
“Don’t worry. It’s dark in there. My realm. We’ll be fine.”
“Lead the way then, Shadow.”
Both Immortals stepped into the tunnel. They kept quiet, listening and watching intently. Shadow easily spotted the first trip wire which they stepped over, not raising any alarm or releasing any trap.
“Uh-oh,” Jason whispered.
“What ‘Uh-oh’?”
But when she looked over Jason’s shoulder, Heka realized what the problem was. A pool of still, icy blue water stretched in front of them. It took the entire width of the tunnel so they couldn’t go around.
“We can’t swim across.” Heka remarked. “The water’s got to be freezing and monster-infested.”
“But we can’t climb around either,” Jason pointed out the slick, straight and polished ice walls forming the tunnel. “There’s nothing to hold on to. Maybe we are meant to swim.”
Heka crossed in front of him and dipped the tip of an arrow in the water. The arrow was pulled into the water with tremendous force, forcing Heka to let go.
“Nope, I don’t think so.”
“Give me your sword,” Jason said. Heka obeyed, a little puzzled. Shadow raised the sword, and, as she realized wha
t he was about to do, she clung on to him. He drove the blade deep into the ice which cracked and broke apart. The two of them now stood precariously on a small ice float. They stood back to back, Jason held the sword and Heka readied her bow.
“See anything?” she whispered, scanning the still water. They were slowly floating toward the other end of the pool.
Before he had time to answer, a creature leapt out of the water, barreling straight toward him. It looked like a big fish, the size of a head, with glowing green scales covering its body and several rows of sharp shining teeth. Jason slashed the sword across the fish’s body, neatly cutting it in half.
“Yep, I saw something…something fishy.”
Another one jumped out, its hideous mouth opened and pointed at Heka’s face. The arrow she shot passed through its mouth and out the other side.
“Good,” she grunted as she nocked another arrow, “I’m hungry.”
More and more fish started to jump out of the water to attack. Every one of them was met with either a sharp blade or an arrow. They had to balance, make sure they did not fall into the water, otherwise, they would become fish food. And even if they wouldn’t die, being ripped to shreds would make it harder for them to reform. Not to mention painful.
The other side of the pool kept getting closer, and the fish seemed to dwindle in numbers. Finally, their float hit the land and they tumbled onto the dry ice. They heard the furious snapping of teeth behind them but the fish dared not come on land.
“Nicely done,” Heka smiled.
“You too,” Jason let out a sigh of relief. “Still hungry?”
“Starving. But not in the mood for seafood.”
“Plus the flower isn’t in sight yet. Come on,” he offered his hand to pull her back to her feet and took the opportunity to plant a small, brief kiss on her forehead before continuing farther down the dark tunnel. Both of them kept a lookout for traps and a few times they had to step back quickly to avoid triggering them. Soon they came across a pit in the ground. It was about ten feet deep and sharp stalagmites pointed up at them.
“Great. Myegi has a problem with solid ground,” Heka mumbled.
“Or the Moon does.”
“They probably both worked on this lovely maze. How do we get across?”
“It’s pretty dark in here. There are a lot of shadows.”
“What exactly are you suggesting?”
“I can weave a shadow-bridge.”
“Seems like a good idea except for the fact that I can’t walk on shadow like you, Shadow!”
“Nope,” he admitted.
“So? How do we do this?”
“I can carry you across,” he smiled.
“Like Prince Charming? It’s a dream come true!”
Jason smiled at her, then closed his eyes and mumbled in a strange language. All the shadows around started to assemble together, forming a dark, smoky, unstable-looking bridge over the pit. If Heka tried to step on, she would go right through and impale herself on one of those stalagmites. Jason slid one arm under her knees and the other behind her back.
“Prince Charming to the rescue,” he teased, as he stepped on the bridge. To him, it felt like walking on solid ground. He had nothing to fear.
“Prince Charming better not drop me or he’s gonna find himself with a very angry princess to take care of.”
“Or rather to take shelter from. And with a big hole in her chest—that would be so cute! I won’t drop you. Promise.” He paused half-way across. “Did you hear?”
“Yep. Sounds like…” she strained to hear, “fire. Ahead of us.”
Jason hurried over to the other side and gently let Heka slide out from his arms, holding her tight against him for a moment.
“Do you know what usually happens after the frightened damsel in distress has been saved?”
“She says ‘I thank thee’ while batting her eyelashes?”
“Yes. That’s a pretty good start. But to show him her undying gratitude, she usually offers a more tangible token of gratitude, like a kiss.”
“Oh. I didn’t know! Is this enough?” she asked, pressing her lips against his cheek.
“Again, that’s a really, really good start, but when it comes to saving the life of a genuine damsel, a kiss on the lips, like this,” he joined deed to words, “demonstrates real gentility and sophistication.”
“Thank you for teaching me such appropriate manners.”
“Any time.”
Their laughter echoed in the icy chambers.
“Ready to continue?”
Jason smiled brightly in response and they went on their way. They came across an intersection. One path led straight, the other turned right.
“Which way?” Jason asked.
“The fire comes from straight ahead. I can’t hear anything from the right side.”
“If there’s nothing there, prudence would tell us to turn right.”
“But the flower is probably straight ahead,” Heka countered.
“Straight it is then,” Jason said.
They kept going, and it wasn’t two minutes before they found the source of the fire. It formed a wall which blocked the way. The blue-green flames should have melted everything around, but the ice remained frozen.
“This is new,” Heka said.
“It doesn’t melt the ice,” Jason pointed out.
“I bet you anything it burns us, though.”
“We can use ice as a protective shield. The fire seems like a thin sheet of flames. It would only take us a second to pass through.”
“The ice here is way too thick to cut through. I hate getting burned,” Warrior groaned.
“You’re suggesting we just walk through?”
“Maybe…Unless… Do you think you could manipulate the shadows around to put out just a part of the fire?”
He looked at her quizzically.
“You want me to put out fire with shadows.”
“Yes. When you blow out a candle, the light is replaced by darkness. Just put out this one small part of the fire so we can both go through. I’d prefer walking through shadow than flames.”
Jason nodded. It was worth a try. He moved his hands forward, and the shadows followed them to one of the lower corners of the fire where they replaced the cold flame. Jason slid through it and Heka followed.
“Nicely done.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you alright?” she asked as Jason released the shadows.
“Tired, you?”
“My hair got a little singed, but I’m fine.”
A little further down, they found a tall metal door blocking the way.
“It’s locked,” Jason said after trying the handle.
“Well, I finally feel useful,” Heka said stepping up. She pulled out a pin and inserted it into the lock. “Too easy,” she admitted. “I have a feeling we’re not gonna like what we find behind that door,” she warned as she pushed it open.
Chapter 15: The Moonlight Flower
They entered a cave. At the end of the round excavation was a silver pedestal. Protruding from it, they could discern the shape of a shining flower. Two creatures materialized in the room.
The first, a snake, towered over Warrior. She had always hated the serpentine, slithering creatures. And this particular snake could be anyone’s nightmare. It was about 70 feet long, with two heads—one had poison dripping from its fangs, and, whenever the other breathed, tiny ice particles formed from its breath and fell to the ground. The other creature that had appeared, this one in front of Jason, was a wolf. Ten feet tall, its powerful legs and jaws ready for attack. Both animals were silver—silver scales, fur, and eyes which glared down at the Immortals.
They both wished they were facing the other animal, but something told them they couldn’t. Heka drew her swords. She threw one of them, along with a knife to Jason, whom, under the influence of Myegi, had left all his weapons behind.
“The Flower belongs to the Moon. You are not allowed he
re,” the wolf growled.
“Now you must die,” the snake seethed, both heads talking as one.
“Not today,” Heka seethed back. “Not for a long time.”
“The Flower is ours,” Shadow said using his coldest voice. “Let us pass.”
“You have chosen your fate,” the snake warned.
“And now, you shall perish,” the wolf added.
Then, speaking as one, they said, “The Moon needs protection. The threats are to be eliminated by Volka’s claws and Sertia’s fangs.”
“Seriously, what is it with these guys and death?” Heka joked, her eyes focused on her opponent.
“Yeah, we got it the first time you said ‘die’. Kind of redundant using ‘perish’ and ‘eliminated’ too. Are you trying to show off your extensive vocabulary?!”
“You mock death,” the snake, Sertia, hissed.
“Time to kill!” Volka and Sertia attacked.
Jason rolled to the side to avoid being crushed by a giant clawed wolf paw. He slashed the sword across, cutting the wolf’s calf. Volka growled and brought her mouth down. He barely avoided the sharp teeth and smacked the hilt of the sword down hard on her snout. The wolf yelped. She flicked her tail, and Jason went flying, but just before he hit the ground, Volka caught him in her paw.
“Farewell,” the wolf was ready to break him in half and tear off his head. She bit air. In Shadow’s place, there was a wisp of black smoke. “You dare disappear?” she yelled in rage.
The wolf looked around her, furious to have lost her prey. Jason appeared on her back. He drove the sword down, and she howled in rage. Volka tried to bite behind her, but couldn’t reach him. Her back paw flung him off. Jason landed on his back with a hard thud and saw the wolf slowly advancing on him. He was her prey and, the wind knocked out of him, Shadow couldn’t move.
Heka looked at Sertia, the two-headed snake, and swallowed down her astonishment. This was just another adversary. It might even be fun. She stood with her sword at the ready, and a smile stretched her lips. The snake slithered forward, hissing furiously. Heka had to admire Sertia. The way he advanced, in one fluid movement, fast and precise. A good fighter. Maybe more than good.